Sports literature

[knocky1]

Two decent football reads-
My father and other working class football heroes, Written by Gary Imlach about his dad who played in the 50's and 60's.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Father-Other-Working-Football-Heroes/dp/0224072676

The miracle of Castel Di sangro. Book written by an American about a small club in Italy.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Miracle-Of-Castel-Sangro/dp/075152753X

I read the Italian book a number of years back. Now you have mentioned it, I do remember it as great.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

A life too short? about Robert Enke. Supposed to be a good read.

Well, given the nature of Robert Enke's life it feels a bit crass to say it is a good read but it provides an interesting insight to his troubled life and shows how debilitating and indiscriminate depression can be.

 

[Gordon Bennett]

Broken Dreams: Vanity, Greed and the Souring of British Football by Tom Bower. It's a few years old now but is a real eye-opener into the financial side of football and in particular how agents operate. Another book to make the average football fans blood boil.

Playgrounds of the Gods by Ian Stafford. Again a few years old but its a sports journalist's account of how he got to train with Flamengo in Brazil, play squash against Jansher Khan, train with the Australian cricket team (and be official twelfth man for an ODI) and it culminates with three rounds against Roy Jones Jnr.

 

[cowburn86]

Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics by Jonathan Wilson is one of the most interesting football books I've ever read and would thoroughly recommend. Highly insightful.

 

[s5.bha]

Black Diamonds and the Blue Brazil about cowdenbeath fc by Ron Ferguson is a great read.
Off topic , I'm reading Zealot by Reza Aslan at the moment , which so far is a bloody good read.

 

[BBassic]

Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics by Jonathan Wilson is one of the most interesting football books I've ever read and would thoroughly recommend. Highly insightful.

Yes! I should have included this in my earlier post.

 

[patcham seagulls]

Yes! I should have included this in my earlier post.

Have to say I've already read and enjoyed

Inverting the pyramid- pretty insightful look at the development of football tactics

Brilliant orange- how certain Dutch individuals, brought a different approach and sowed the seeds for tika-taka

Left foot forward/build a bonfire-essential bhafc supporter books

Also really enjoyed

Left foot beyond the grave- Gary Nelson spends a year, managing Torquay United. No Hollywood stories here, just realistic stories of professional football at the lower levels in England.

Keep posting please, there's been a couple of suggestions. I'm really keen to follow up.

 

[joeinbrighton]

Soccernomics by syzmanski and someone else (forgot his name though) I found interesting.

Simon Kuper. Read this when I was commuting 2-3 years ago. Not bad.

 

[joeinbrighton]

Duncan Hamilton's book called 'As Long As You Don't Kiss Me' which is about his time as a local reporter covering Nottingham Forest and working with Brian Clough is a particularly good read. Dennis Bergkamp's book is going to be next on my reading list. It is meant to be quite revealing and insightful about what coaches in England can learn from their counterparts in Holland and Spain.

 

[paul wickens]

I would agree with most of the titles listed on this thread. Anything by Duncan Hamilton is worth a read ( he also writes on Cricket) The Robert Enke book is tremendous and another one by the same author, Ronald Reng, is ' Keeper of Dreams' which looks at Barnsley's keeper Lars Leese. around the 1999 /2000 season who was plucked from relative obscurity in Germany to play in the Premier League. Another good one is 'I'm not really here'. Ex Manchester City player Paul Lake wrote his autobiography which charts his meteoric rise to fame at the end of the 80s and then a desperate struggle against knee injuries. I also liked 'the Secret Life of Tony Cascarino' by Paul Kimmage.
From other sports (and across the pond). 'The Punch' by John Feinstein, 'Blind Side' by Michael Lewis and 'Moneyball' also by Michael Lewis are all good.

 

[CPFC G]

Duncan Hamilton's book called 'As Long As You Don't Kiss Me' which is about his time as a local reporter covering Nottingham Forest and working with Brian Clough is a particularly good read.

I have read that, Decent book. Bit sad towards the end when Cloughie was falling apart.

Simon Jordans book is an interesting read, Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Frank Dux]

Why England Lose has some great chapters in it (think it may be called Soccernomics also) - Also someone said, anything by Kuper/Symanski is always good. Just started reading "The Numbers Game" which has started well & is in the same area. I love the sports/stats books & there are quite a few good ones on baseball

Castel Di Sagro & A season with Verona are very interesting easy reads, plus another vote for Inverting the Pyramid

If we are on sports generally then if you have never read Moneyball or Seabiscuit, then I could not recomend more

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

Just read Alan Mullery's Autobiography
Good read for all England and Albion fans and an insight into how life sometimes isn't all glamour and showbiz !

 

[grummitts gloves]

Who is the author?

One school of thought is that it's Dave Kitson. Apparently there is a whole website dedicated to trying to work out who it is.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

The book about Robert Enke is worth reading. As a previous poster said, not enjoyable, given the subject nature, but moving.

I would also recommend Coming Back To Me: The Autobiography of Marcus Trescothick. Very honest book.

 

[hart's shirt]

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby.

The book - absolutely yes. The less said about the movies of the same name, the better.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That Sport freesheet they give out in London and maybe other places also on Fridays and maybe other days also is a very good read

 

[TheJasperCo]

That Sport freesheet they give out in London and maybe other places also on Fridays and maybe other days also is a very good read

That's the Crystal Palace matchday programme and I would be inclined to slap anyone who dares offer me such a travesty of a read.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That's the Crystal Palace matchday programme and I would be inclined to slap anyone who dares offer me such a travesty of a read.

Me too! Obviously a case of mistaken sport literature identity, however I have slapped myself by way of apology

 

[joeinbrighton]

I would also recommend Coming Back To Me: The Autobiography of Marcus Trescothick. Very honest book.

Yes, I've read that. As you say, it is a very honest, candid and insightful book. The book doesn't cover his cricket career in fine detail, but is more about how he came to be diagnosed with depression and how he now manages his condition with the help of his CPN and so on.